All Stars

M A N U F A C T U R I N G A L L S T A R S 2 0 2 2 5 S P O N S O R P A I D P R O F I L E bachelor's degree in business management from Lakeland University. KI also offered a leadership course through Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, which was one of the most helpful classes I have taken — it taught me a lot of the necessary skills for dealing with different types of situations and different types of people. What kinds of technology do you use and interact with? We work with programs that help with day-to-day activities. We use them to see what each area is working on or what is scheduled to ship. We use Windchill software to find information about each product. We use Excel spreadsheets as a downtime tracker to keep track of where we are losing time and to see the areas that we can improve. In the past 10 years, we have come up with technology that has completely changed the way we do things in manufacturing. Are there perceptions about manufacturing careers you would like to change? Some people believe manufacturing jobs are boring, dirty or dangerous, but it's not like that at all. I think automation has made it more interesting because there is so much you can learn. If you are willing to take the time to learn from people and take advantage of the opportunities to get experience, there is nothing boring about manufacturing. AriensCo Brillion O n any given week at AriensCo, at least one employee is celebrated for reaching a milestone anniversary of 25, 30, 40 or even 50 years with the company. Many have held numerous positions over their careers. "Because we are a family-owned company, we can make day-to-day decisions that are focused on our long-term growth," says Dan Ariens, company chairman and CEO. For employees starting their careers, AriensCo offers on-the-job learning opportunities including apprenticeships, job shadowing and internships in safety, Lean manufacturing and manufacturing leadership. AriensCo has been building commercial and residential outdoor power equipment for more than 80 years. The company sells a variety of products including snow blowers, lawn mowers, professional zero-turn mowers and chore products like power brushes, edgers and even utility vehicles. Those products start out as raw steel delivered to two facilities in Brillion. Employees take the steel through many processes including stamping, laser-cutting, welding, painting, assembly and testing before they ship out as finished product. "There are many opportunities for people who like the idea of creating something tangible out of nothing," Ariens says. "The one thing that all manufacturing employees have in common is that they like to solve problems." When problems do come up, five "Company Core Values" set the tone for decision-making: Be Honest, Be Fair, Keep Our Commitments, Respect the Individual and Encourage Intellectual Curiosity. The company has been growing through acquisition, expanded product lines and investment in new technology. Employees who join the AriensCo team have the unique opportunity to impact the business in a fast paced, high-energy environment. And with incentives like hiring bonuses, on-site day care and competitive wages, the AriensCo family of employees continues to grow. ariensco.com For more information about AriensCo check out the following: most prepared you with the necessary skills? I have a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from Michigan Technological University. Math and science classes have been helpful, as have Lean Six Sigma, Kata and problem-solving training. What has been the most fulfilling experience you've had at your company? I would say the most fulfilling experience for me would have to be during 2020: The entire organization completely pivoted to servicing the pandemic by scaling and creating new manufacturing capabilities to provide personal protective equipment when it was desperately needed in health care. Feeling the collaboration and passion throughout the whole organization was such a cool experience. Why would you encourage someone to enter the manufacturing field? There are just so many avenues someone could take by choosing a career in manufacturing. There are plenty of opportunities to learn and contribute. It is very rewarding to see the products you make out in the market. How did mentors impact your career? Mentors have pushed me to become a better problem solver and leader. I am challenged every day to see the bigger picture and to continue to help others around me develop. These people have created an environment for me where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. AriensCo | Facebook www.facebook.com … Tools/Equipment AriensCo (@AriensCo) | Twitter twitter.com/AriensCo AriensCo | LinkedIn www.linkedin.com › company › ariensco AriensCo | Instagram www.instagram.com › ariensco

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